and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." And of the unbeliever he affirms, John 3: 18, "He that believeth not is condemned already; because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Again he says, John 9: 39, "For judgment am I come into the world," and in John 12: 31, "Now is the judgment of this world." Peter says, 1 Pet. 4: 17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God." John the Revelator says, Rev. 14: 6, 7, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come." The word which in these texts is rendered judgment is the same that is rendered damned aud damnation in the New Testament. Jesus came into the world, then, to execute damnation; not in another world, but here. The hour of damnation had come in the days of John. The damnation of the world commenced eighteen hundred years ago, and first began at the house of God. Paul speaks of damnation in this world, but says not a word about damnation anywhere else. He speaks of some "whose damnation is just." Rom. 3: 8. Of some who ate and drank damnation. 1 Cor. 11: 29. Of some who were experiencing damnation. 1 Tim 5: 12. Jude speaks of some who were ordained to experience the condemnation they were then in. Jude 1: 4. And Peter speaks

of some

"whose damnation slumbered not." 2 Peter 2: 3. Mark 16: 16, has long been considered a standing proof of the doctrine of damnation in a future world. We will now close with an examination of this text, trusting that our remarks on it will make the Bible doctrine of damnation perfectly plain. This text reads thus:

Mark 16: 16, "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

The questions to be considered are: 1. What is it that we are required to believe, the belief of which is necessary to salvation? 2. What is the nature of the salvation promised to the believer and where is it to be experienced? 3. What is the nature of the damnation threatened to the unbeliever, and where is it to be experienced, and how long?

1. What must we believe? Ask the Calvinist, the Arminian

Phil. 2: 12, 13. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

1 Thess. 5: 8, 9. But let us who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breast-plate of faith and love; and for an helmet the hope of salvation: for God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thess. 2: 13. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath, from the beginning, chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. 2 Tim. 2 10. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eterna glory.

2 Tim. 3: 15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Titus 2: 11. For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath ap peared to all men.

Heb. 1 14. Are they [the angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Heb. 2: 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?

Verse 10. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Heb. 59. And being made perfect, he became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

Heb. 6 9. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Heb. 9: 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.

1 Peter 1 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

Verses 9, 10. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired, and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you.

2 Pet. 3: 15. And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation.

Jude 1 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation.

Rev. 7: 10; 19: 1, and 12: 10.

SECTION II.

Those passages in the NEW TESTAMENT where the words DAMNATION, DAMNED, CONDEMNATION, CONDEMNED, &c., occur.

DAMNATION.-Matt. 23: 14. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Verse 33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of hell? [Gehenna.]

Luke 20: 47. Which [Scribes] devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

Mark 12: 40. Which devour widows' houses and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

Mark 3: 29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

John 5: 29. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Rom. 3: 8. And not rather (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil that good may come? whose damnation is just.

Rom. 13: 2. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation.

1 Cor. 11: 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

1 Tim. 5: 12. faith.

Having damnation, because they have cast off their first

2 Peter 2: 3. And through covetousness shall they [false teachers], with feigned words, make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

DAMNED. Mark 16 16. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Rom. 14: 23. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith, is sin.

2 Thess. 2: 11, 12. And for this cause [rejecting the truth] God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

CONDEMNATION.-John 3: 16-19. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already; because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 5: 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Rom. 5: 16. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for, the judgment was by one to condemnation; but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

Verse 18. Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Rom. 8: 1-3. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law

of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

1 Cor. 11: 32-34. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

2 Cor. 3: 9. For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

1 Tim. 3: 6. Not a novice, lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

James 3: 1. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

James 5: 12, But let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

Jude 1 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 6: 37. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven.

John 8: 10, 11. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Titus 3 10, 11. A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

2 Peter 2: 6. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.

SECTION III.

Remarks on the Bible doctrine of Salvation and Damnation.

These remarks are designed to show the contrast between the opinions of men on this subject, and the plain teachings of the Bible. 1. We will speak of salvation. 2. Of damnation.

I. OF SALVATION.-The common opinion on this subject is, first, That Jesus Christ came to this world to save mankind in another; second, That the salvation of the Gospel consists in being saved from the penalty of God's law; from deserved punishment; and from an endless hell, or place of misery, in a future state of existence. But to all of these opinions we oppose the following objections, viz.

1. It is nowhere said, in the Bible, that Jesus Christ came to this world to save mankind in another. On the contrary, he him

self says, that he came "to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19: 10; Matt. 18:11. Not that which was in danger of being lost, nor that which was liable to be lost, but that which was already lost. In Luke 4: 18, 19, he tells us that he came to 'preach the Gospel to the poor; to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.' He also affirms that he came to do the will of God, John 6:38; and to bear witness to the truth, John 18: 37. But he nowhere informs us that he came to save any man from any danger to which he was exposed in another world.

2. The Bible nowhere informs us that salvation consists in being saved from the penalty of God's law, nor from deserved punishment, nor from a place of endless misery. On the contrary, the salvation of the gospel consists in being saved from darkness, from unbelief, from sin and all its attendant evil consequences. John 12: 46, 66 I am come light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." Gal. 1: 4, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Titus 2: 14, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Matt. 1: 21, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins."

As mankind have mistaken the nature of salvation, so they have been mistaken in regard to the means by which it is effected. It has been supposed that this salvation is effected by Christ's suffering the penalty due to the sinner, and bearing in his own person the punishment which the guilty only were deserving of. But where could mankind learn such opinions? Certainly not from the Bible; for that nowhere informs us that Jesus suffered the penalty of any law of God whatever; nor that he suffered any punishment which was due to our sins. That Jesus suffered in consequence of our sins is undoubtedly true. But how this could exonerate us from blame, or clear us from guilt, is more than any rational man can possibly understand. How, then, is this salvation effected? Answer, by simply believing the truth. Mankind, in consequence of sin, have become "alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance which is in them" Eph. 4: 18. They are lost in the labyrinths of